White Elephant Christmas

[phyzik]

So, my extended family likes to do this since its so large, it saves cash and you dont have to guess what an individual wants. Plus it leads to some funny moments when a gag gift is thrown in the mix once in a while :lol

For those that dont know how it works, here's a brief description:

All participants draw a number to determine their order.

The participant with #1 unwraps any gift from the pile and then shows it to everyone. Each successive participant, in the order determined from the drawing, or in clockwise or counterclockwise order, can either 1) "steal" an already opened gift (if there's one they really like) or 2) be adventurous and go for a wrapped gift from the pile. If the participant chooses to steal, the person whose gift is stolen now repeats his turn and either 1) steals another person's gift (he cannot immediately steal back the gift that was just stolen from him) or 2) unwraps a new gift.

We usually limit items on how many times they can be stolen. say 2 times.

Generally we have a $25 limit

Anyone have any thoughts on what I should get this year? Nothing crazy like a dildo or anything like that either. This is a family event after all.

alchohol, tools, stuff that could be helpfull around the house, something goofy, ect.

[baseline bum]

They did that on The Office. :lol

It had disastrous results.

[katyon6th]

^^ One of my favorite episodes ever.



I started a thread on this same topic 3 years ago. http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55199

I can't remember how that particular gift exchange turned out but we've done it every year since at my office. It's either hit or miss. Last year it was a total hit. Everyone wanted what I brought - a desk calendar that displayed ridiculous sex positions for every day of the year. My boss ended up going home with it. Actually, he has it on his desk. So, we all get to enjoy it.

[katyon6th]

Hahahaha. Just looked through that thread. While there's an invasion of ridiculous ideas presented by Johnny Blaze, Manny, Mouse and Midge, there's some solid ideas as well.

I particularly liked the sandwhich ham and the suggestion to buy $15 worth of potatoes.

[CuckingFunt]

A dildo for under the $25.00 limit? Yeah, right.

[katyon6th]

A used dildo found on craigslist would be pretty awesome.

[Ginofan]

Katy, gross!

Woot.com always kind of cheap but fun and useful stuff. The other day we got our niece a disney digital camcorder for like 20 bucks brand new. Might want to check their site in the next few days to get something fun.

[Mark in Austin]

How 'bout a Snuggie?

[CuckingFunt]

http://www.threadless.com/product/1960/Three_Keyboard_Cat_Moon

[DPG21920]

A good gift for those is something like:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31EPM4QZYAL._AA260_.jpg

At Target. Pretty nice and modern for only ten bucks. Get a 10.00 bottle of wine to go with it.

There is a bunch of cool/cheap gifts at Urban Outfitters as well:

http://images.urbanoutfitters.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/17415399_000_b?$detailmain$


http://images.urbanoutfitters.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/17549312_000_a?$cat$

[Frenzy]

been there done that. never again.

[baseline bum]

A good book on topology: $10.17

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HNJQC982L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Topology-Theodore-W-Gamelin/dp/0486406806

plus two bombers of Stone Ruination IPA (about $11)
http://www.stonebrew.com/zips/sripa_bott_small.jpg http://www.stonebrew.com/zips/sripa_bott_small.jpg

[JoeChalupa]

We've only done that once and we came home with some fancy bottles of wine from that dude that is now on the HEB commercials as the wine steward.

[marini martini]

Lottery Tickets!!! FTW!!!!:toast

[B-Hath]

I used to do that with the ex-wife's in-laws. The best thing I got out of it was one of those little Swiss Army Knife keychains. Lost the wife, kept the Swiss Army Knife. HA!

[PuttPutt]

We do that every Christmas Eve with my wife's family. We have a $20 limit.

Items that have been swapped

*Movie money or gift certificate to movies
*Various gift certificates
*decorative bowl
*Fleece blanket
*Blown glass vase
*Big tin of popcorn
*candles
*glass pitcher
*2 big cans of pistachios & macadamia nuts
*Cheap Binoculars
*Knives
*Picture frames
*stuffed animals
*Hunting accessories
*crappy digital camera
*kitchen stuff

This year my wife & I are going to order stuff from a holiday catalogue. We're talking about getting some kind of spreadable cheese ball & some box of chocolates or desserts.

If you live in SA go to places like Steinmart, Tuesday Morning, or TJ Maxx & look in their housewares dept. You can always find cheap deals. If I was still in SA that's where I'd go. Instead I live in the middle of no where WA state. Although, we do have a TJ Maxx.

[phyzik]

Man, I have to say, you guys are not bringing it. I'm disapointed.

Digital Measuring tape... - $24.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/digital_measuring_tape.jpg

The origional ring thing (Ring bottle opener) - $7.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/ring_thing.jpg

Sweedish FireSteel. - $3.99 - $15.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/light_my_fire.jpg

Multi-colored LED flashlight - $19.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/multicolor_flashlight.jpg

14-in-1 Micro Multi tool - $12.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/a71c_micro_max_multi_tool.jpg

Closed-hood Car jump-starter - $24.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/closed_hood_car_jump_starter.jpg

AirCurve iPhone Acoustic Amplifier - $19.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/b6ca_aircurve_iphone_acoustic_amplifier.jpg

Squishy Bowl set - $16.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/a8ab_squishy_bowl_set.jpg


Come on guys, bring it! :lol

[PuttPutt]

Those squishy bowls are cool. Where'd you find those?

[phyzik]

Those squishy bowls are cool. Where'd you find those?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/a8ab/

[Chong]

throw in a half of schwag or a juicy nugget of the dro man.

[JudynTX]

Our family does this since we stopped picking names for each other.

We set a $25 limit.

Better played while indulging on alcoholic beverages. :D

[CosmicCowboy]

Michael Jacksons post death video

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B002TYZKIM/sr=8-1/qid=1259763952/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=130&s=dvd&qid=1259763952&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jackson-This/dp/B002TYZKIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1259763952&sr=8-1

[easjer]

The most sought-out gifts when I used to do this were booze and lottery tickets, followed by chocolate.

The most random gifts were a leg lamp nightlight, a toilet seat, and a purse made of an old rotary phone (which actually worked, if you plugged it in), and a ginormous bag of individual ketchup packets.

The practical but you didn't mind walking home with it gifts were what I usually gave - ie, a bag filled with coffee/chocolate/popcorn, etc. I also sometimes gave gifts like My Little Pony gift sets and they always, always got picked up by someone to regift to their daughter or neice.

[fraga]

I've played that in the past...however...we chose NOT to unwrap anything until the game was over....that way...the person stealing gifts...because they thought it was something good...might be screwed in the end...so like...taping $40 to a big rock...or throwing something else tricky in the mix...a bottle of soy sauce...

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Did a few of those in college. The ones that stood out:

- a giant bottle of McCormack's Vodka, which is every bit as good as you would expect a Russian liquor with a name like McCormack's to be

- a huge rock wrapped in that day's newspaper, on which was written "Merry Christm". The giver put as much forethought into the size and spacing of his lettering on the rock as he put into the gift and its wrapping.

- a busted mini-fridge, which had inside of it a non-functioning 13' TV set.

- a regifted bread box that "looked like Fiesta threw up all over it."

[ploto]

I often did Christmas CD's that seemed to be very popular, but that was before i-Tunes. Now you can do an i-Tunes gift card.